Mukuṭatāḍitaka

Mukuṭatāḍitaka

The Mukuṭatāḍitaka [MT] is a lost play by Bāṇabhatta, on the theme of the duel between Duryodhana and Bhīma. Verses from the MT are found cited in Caṇḍapāla’s commentary on the Nalacampū [ca. 950 CE] and Bhoja’s magnum opus Śṛṅgāraprakāśa [ca. 1100 CE]. The play may have inspired Bhaṭṭanārāyaṇa’s play Veṇisaṁhāra, Rājaśekhara’s play Bālabhārata and Ranna’s Kannada kāvya Sāhasabhīmavijayam [c. 1000 CE].

Here are the available verses from the MT -

dhvastāḥ kṣudrāḥ dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ samastāḥ pītaṃ raktaṃ svādu duḥśāsanasya |

pūrṇā kṛṣṇākeśabandhapratijñā tiṣṭhatyekaḥ kauravasyorubhaṅgaḥ ||

ūrū nipīḍya gadayā yadi nāsya tasya pādena ratnamukuṭaṃ śakalīkaromi |

dehaṃ nipītanijadhūmavijṛmbhamāṇajvālājaṭālavapuṣi jvalane juhomi ||

āśā proṣitadiggajā iva guhāḥ pradhvastasiṃhā iva

droṇyaḥ kṛttamahādrumā iva bhuvaḥ protkhātaśailā iva |

bibhrāṇāḥ kṣayakālariktasakalatrailokyakaṣṭāṃ daśāṃ

jātāḥ kṣīṇamahārathāḥ kurupater devasya śūnyāḥ sabhāḥ ||